Compositions and methods for the production of a dried fermented pea proteins

Abstract

Described herein are compositions and methods for the production of a dried pea protein fermentate. An initial composition including a pea protein, a Leuconostoc citreum or Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides bacterium, and sucrose may be fermented for a time and under conditions suitable to produce a pea protein fermentate and said pea protein fermentate will be dried. The resulting dried pea protein fermentate, when reconstituted, will have increased viscosity, improved aspect, and improved sensory attributes relative to an equivalent pea protein composition that has not been contacted with or fermented by a Leuconostoc citreum or Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides bacterium.

1 . A dried pea protein fermentate comprising:
 a pea protein;   a non-viable  Leuconostoc citreum  or  Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides  bacterium;   alpha-glucan; and   less than 10% water.   
     
     
         2 . A dried pea protein fermentate according to  claim 1 , produced by a method comprising:
 (i) contacting a pea protein composition comprising a pea protein and sucrose with a  Leuconostoc citreum  or  Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides  bacterium for a time and under conditions sufficient to produce a pea protein fermentate;   (ii) optionally, stirring the contacted pea protein composition during or after step (i);   (iii) optionally, inactivating the  Leuconostoc citreum  or Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides bacterium; and   (iii) drying the pea protein fermentate to a moisture content of less than 10%; whereby a dried pea protein fermentate is formed.   
     
     
         3 . A method for producing a dried pea protein fermentate, the method comprising:
 (i) contacting a pea protein composition comprising a pea protein and sucrose with a  Leuconostoc citreum  or  Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides  bacterium for a time and under conditions sufficient to produce a pea protein fermentate;   (ii) optionally, stirring the contacted pea protein composition during or after step (i);   (iii) optionally, inactivating the  Leuconostoc citreum  or  Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides  bacterium; and   (iii) drying the pea protein fermentate to a moisture content of less than 10%; whereby a dried pea protein fermentate is formed.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the dried pea protein fermentate comprises:
 a pea protein;   a non-viable  Leuconostoc citreum  or  Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides  bacterium;   alpha-glucan; and   less than 10% water.   
     
     
         5 . The of  claim 3 , wherein the pea protein composition comprises between 1 wt % and 20 wt %, pea protein and between 1 wt % and 30 wt % sucrose. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the composition is fermented for at least 6 hours. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the pea protein fermentate is dried by lyophilization. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the  Leuconostoc citreum  bacterium is selected from the group consisting of  Leuconostoc citreum  B3K7 (BCCM Accession No. LMG P-32801),  Leuconostoc citreum  C22B11 (BCCM Accession No. LMG P-32800),  Leuconostoc citreum  C18X1 (BMCC Accession No. LMG P-32799, and  Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides  C18X24 (BCCM Accession No. LMG P-33195). 
     
     
         9 . The fermentate of  claim 1 , wherein the dried pea protein fermentate comprises fructose, polyols, organic acids (e.g., lactic acid and/or acetic acid), or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The fermentate of  claim 1 , wherein the dried pea protein fermentate is free of added sucrose. 
     
     
         11 . The fermentate of  claim 1 , wherein the dried pea protein fermentate is free of added starch. 
     
     
         12 . The fermentate of  claim 1 , wherein when the dried pea protein fermentate is rehydrated to a total solids content between 15% and 25%, and the resulting rehydrated pea protein fermentate
 has a higher viscosity than an equivalent pea protein composition that has not been contacted with the  Leuconostoc citreum  or  Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides  bacterium; and/or   has a more glossy, more shiny, gooier, and/or more gel-like aspect than an equivalent pea protein composition that has not been contacted with the  Leuconostoc citreum  or  Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides  bacterium; and/or   has increased sourness, decreased green pea flavor, increased sweetness, and/or decreased grassy flavor relative to an equivalent pea protein composition that had not been contacted with the  Leuconostoc citreum  or  Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides  bacterium.   
     
     
         13 . The fermentate of  claim 1 , wherein the dried pea protein fermentate comprises 25-40 wt % alpha-glucan. 
     
     
         14 . The fermentate of  claim 1 , wherein the dried pea protein fermentate comprises 25-40 wt % alpha-glucan with an average molecular weight between 300 kDa and 9 MDa. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the bacterium is inactivated by pasteurization, heat killing, irradiation, or chemical treatment. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the dried pea protein fermentate comprises fructose, polyols, organic acids, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the dried pea protein fermentate is free of added sucrose. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the dried pea protein fermentate is free of added starch. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the dried pea protein fermentate comprises 25-40 wt % alpha-glucan. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the dried pea protein fermentate comprises 25-40 wt % alpha-glucan with an average molecular weight between 300 kDa and 9 MDa.